A Summer's Day
by Lady Barbara
Summary: My entry for Sakura Avalon/Kinomoto's contest. Short and fluffy.


Author Notes: Christina (aka Sakura Avalon/Kinomoto) started a Pokemon  
AAMRN contest, and this is my entry. Very short (written during down  
time at work). Enjoy.   
  
"A Summer's Day"  
  
By Barbara L.  
  
The sun was moving lazily across the sky heading westward. The ocean waves lapped the shore.   
A perfect day. A rare day off for us.  
  
Tracey, Ash, and I were cleaning up our picnic site. Somehow Tracey and I strong-armed Ash  
into giving us all a day off and we had spent our time swimming and surfing. Or in Ash's case,  
attempted surfing.   
  
Tracey looked toward the ocean. "Hey, Ash, where'd Lapras go? I don't see her anywhere." Ash  
and I had let our Pokemon out for one last swim before heading to the next island. Ash scanned  
the horizon before pointing to a large blue object in the water.   
  
"There she is. The current must've carried them away." Ash turned to me. "Misty, come on. We  
need to get them back."  
  
"Sure, Ash." I hastily pulled my denim shorts on over my red bikini and follow Ash. We walk in  
silence for a few seconds. Ash looks like he is concentrating on something. I look at him  
sideways, so he can't tell I'm checking him out. Black messy hair with that Pokemon Expo cap  
seemingly sewed onto his head. Black tee-shirt. Navy blue swimming trunks. And  
those eyes: he has the darkest eyes I've ever seen. Looking into them you feel as though a laser  
beam is penetrating your body. I feel my cheeks grow warm; these thoughts are new to me, and I  
cannot imagine why I am having them.  
  
"Did you have fun today, Misty?" he asks me.   
  
"Yeah. I needed a day off. Although I imagine it's back to training for you, huh?"  
  
"You got that right. I know I'm getting stronger as a trainer, Misty, but still. I can't take too  
many days off. Not if I'm going to win the Orange Islands Championship!" He looks excited at  
the thought; his eyes shine. I am sure he's daydreaming about holding the trophy in his hands.  
  
"You have been battling much better than before, Ash." I am surprised; my usual sarcasm is  
gone. He looks at me and smiles. I look at the sand. Well, it's true. He has improved. He has  
beaten three Gym Leaders already: Cissy, Danny, and Rudy. One more gym and he will have  
defeated the Orange Crew. And then he will face Drake, the undefeated Orange Islands  
Champion. I wonder if he will let me be his coach like he did at Indigo.   
  
He stops smiling and frowns. "Yeah, I am better but no thanks to you. You haven't been helping  
very much."  
  
"Ash, what're you talking about?" I reply, sighing softly. Where did this come from? One minute  
I am admiring him and the next minute arguing with him.   
  
"What am I talking about? Misty, you rooted for Danny the whole time we were battling! And  
I'm not even gonna mention Rudy--"  
  
"You just did, Ash." I am growing tired of arguing with him. Don't ruin my perfect day off, Ash  
Ketchum.  
  
"Whatever," he says, waving me off. I wonder why he is so upset. Those were only two  
matches--out of what, hundreds--that he has fought. I have rooted for him every time except-- I  
stop myself. Is that it? Am I disloyal? No, I think. Ash is becoming one of my closest friends,  
which is strange for me. My older sisters' only friends were girls. Boys were, well, boys. I never  
thought boys could be friends with girls without all that kissing and mushy stuff. Not that I would  
mind that mushy stuff, but still it is different.   
  
I notice out of the corner of my eye Ash looking at me, and I have to smile inwardly as I see that  
his eyes are not concentrating on my face. Is he checking me out? I turn to face him and give  
him a lopsided grin, making him avert his eyes and blush.   
  
"You really liked Rudy, didn't you?" Ash is asking me a question and I have to stop for a moment  
and think about it.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, he really came on to you, didn't he?"  
  
"Yeah, but--are you asking me if I wanted to stay with him?"   
  
"I guess so." Ash seems nervous and I don't understand why. I am feeling nervous too.  
  
"It just wasn't mutual, Ash." I shove my hands into the pockets of my shorts. I look past Ash and  
see Goldeen leaping into the air, a look of pure bliss on her face. What I wouldn't give to be a  
Pokemon right now, free and wild. Instead of having to deal with these issues.   
  
"Besides," I say, "Rudy really wasn't my type."  
  
"Oh," is all Ash says. He has that concentrating look again, and I wonder exactly what is going  
on in his head. "And what, or who is your type, Misty?"  
  
I almost say, you are. Fortunately my brain overrides my heart and I stammer for a moment  
before replying, "Well, I haven't given it much thought." I know I am not being entirely truthful.   
I actually have written down all the qualities I think I want in a guy, and I have  
matched those qualities with every guy I have met or been friends with. And Ash Ketchum  
matches almost everything I wrote. When I first realized this, I was completely shocked. Later,  
as we became better friends, it didn't seem so shocking but I have never, ever said anything to  
him. My sisters think that I am a scrawny runt, and not girlfriend material. I guess I would have  
to agree with them, but I don't think I am that scrawny.   
  
"I thought you were a romantic, Misty," he teases.  
  
"I am a romantic, Ash. But--um, I haven't really--er, had a boyfriend or anything." I am  
embarrassed to say this to Ash but I reassure myself that he probably hasn't ever had a girlfriend  
either. Not that he seems to want one. Pokemon are the center of his world right now, but I  
would really like to fit in somehow. Still I wonder what it would be like to have someone tell me  
'I love you" or hold my hand, or kiss me. I sigh. I have been reading too many romance novels.   
  
"No. But, it's just that--on Trovita, with Rudy--" Ash stops for a moment and clears his throat.   
"I mean, Misty you could have had him. He seemed to really like you a lot. And he's a Gym  
Leader."   
  
"Yeah, an all-around great guy, that's Rudy." I smile at Ash, who has a worried expression on his  
face.   
  
"But as I said before, the feeling's just not mutual, Ash. I'm not in love with Rudy." I wish  
growing up were easier. I had the perfect opportunity: spend my life on an island with a guy  
who's obviously crazy about me. I'd be surrounded by Pokemon of all kinds, especially Water  
Types. But here I am, walking down the shoreline with Ash, trying to collect our Pokemon.   
  
"How can you tell if you're in love with someone?" Ash's voice is a whisper.   
  
I, Misty Kasumi Yawa, the romantic, do not know how to answer this. I don't know if I've ever  
been in love with anyone. But I wonder why Ash affects me the way he does. Why do I get  
Butterfree in my stomach when we sit next to each other? Why do I sometimes feel shy around  
him? He's just a kid, I tell myself. Why am I acting this way?  
  
"My mom once told me that when you're in love, you want to be a better person because the other  
person makes you feel that way. You want to be with them and share things with them." I look  
down at the white sand yielding beneath my feet and ask, "why do you want to know?"  
  
"Just wondering." Ash has clasped his hands together behind his back and is also looking at the  
sand.   
  
He stops suddenly and points to Lapras, playing in the water a few yards from shore. We both  
pull out our Pokeballs but the beams are too short to reach our Pokemon, so we wade into the  
water. When we are up to our knees, we finally recall our Pokemon into their respective  
Pokeballs, including Lapras. A wave hits my leg and I reach out and grab Ash's shoulder before I  
fall over. He steadies my arm and smiles shyly at me. I smile back.   
  
"Don't fall, Misty. How'd it look for the future Water Master to be, well, all wet?" He is  
grinning.  
  
"Who's all wet?" I say, as I press down onto his shoulder, knocking him backwards into the surf.   
A wave crashes over his head, and through my laughter I see his prized cap floating near me. I  
pick it up and put it on. Ash stands up, spitting out saltwater; he sees me grinning and wearing  
his hat. His spiky hair is now almost flat against his head. He looks very cute, I think.  
  
"Gimme back my hat!"  
  
"Come and get it, Mr. Pokemon Master!" I turn and run through the surf to the sand as fast as I  
can, knowing Ash is only seconds behind me. I speed up slightly, with one hand on my head,  
holding the cap in place. Then I feel Ash's arm pin mine behind me in some type of wrestling  
hold. We struggle for a few seconds but I discover that carrying Pikachu on his shoulder has made  
Ash stronger than I suspected. I am being pushed towards the water now. "Oh, no, Ash don't!"   
I yell. I hear him laughing.  
  
The next thing I know a wave is crashing over my head and the current pulls me under. I close  
my eyes and then try to stand up. I open my eyes to see Ash shaking his cap, trying to dry it off  
and laughing. I glare at him ferociously but he just sticks his tongue out at me. I know  
we are both growing up but I still enjoy playing like kids sometimes. Suddenly, I am aware that  
my hair is no longer off my shoulders. I look around my legs and feet but my ponytail holder is  
out to sea.  
  
"Ash! You messed up my hair!"  
  
"What?"  
  
I am running my fingers through my reddish hair, knowing I probably look like a drowned  
Raticate. I walk to shore and thump Ash on the shoulder in a friendly way. "My ponytail holder's  
gone thanks to you," I say. I can't help smiling. We are now both soaking wet and I wonder how  
long it will take for my shorts to dry out.   
  
"Shouldn't have messed with my hat, Misty," he replies, grinning. "Besides--" he pauses and  
looks at me, right into my eyes. "Um, you know, Misty," he tries to continue. I am curious as to  
why he seems to have trouble speaking; Ash is usually never lost for words.   
  
"You look nice with your hair down." He says and I can tell that the redness on his cheeks is not  
from sun exposure. "Oh," is all that I can get out. My face feels warm and I look down at the  
sand, twirling my hair around my finger. I turn to look at him, smiling broadly.   
  
"We should, uh, get back now." He says before turning to walk back to Tracey and our picnic  
site. I agree and fall into step with him. My heart is beating faster than normal and I chalk this up  
to exertion from pushing Ash into the ocean. But I say nothing of how--turned on--I felt  
when he wrestled with me. Nor do I mention how pleased I am that he noticed me. My heart  
slows to its normal pace and we walk leisurely back, enjoying the kaleidoscope of colors in the  
darkening sky.   
  
"Did you have fun today, Ash?" I ask, for no good reason.  
  
"Yeah, I did." He says. We share a smile and walk back in silence.  
  
(The End)  
  
  
  



End file.
